Excavation buckets have long been used in the mining industry for many different types of digging operations. Excavation buckets come in many different sizes and are designed for different purposes. Many buckets, in particular larger buckets, are constructed from separately formed pieces which are then welded together to form the bucket. This is at least partly because it is easier to manufacture the excavation buckets in this way than to create the bucket as a single casting. However, one problem for such excavation buckets is that the weld joins between the assembled pieces are areas of weakness for the bucket and are prone to cracking and failure due to fatigue stress. This is a particular problem for the ground engaging lip of the bucket.